By Chesa Chesa
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and former governor of the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday rallied support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, declaring that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was poised for victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The two APC leaders spoke at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Edo State, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC National Chairman and governors from other states.
Okpebholo assured the presidential campaign leadership that Edo State was ready to deliver its votes for Tinubu, urging Shettima to convey the commitment to the President.
“Mr. President, I need you to take this message back to Mr. President, that in Edo State we are ready. 16th January 2027. Is it not settled?” he told the gathering.
The governor attributed his administration’s achievements to the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms in the tax system.
He said about 15,000 Edo indigenes had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), while his administration had sustained regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.
Okpebholo also said ongoing construction projects across the state were evidence of the impact of improved resources available to state governments under Tinubu.
“Today, we are proud people. We raise our head high because we don’t owe salary. Pensioners are paid as I told you. For me, this is enough,” he said.
He added that Edo had become a construction site, expressing confidence that the state’s support would help secure Tinubu’s re-election.
In his remarks, Oshiomhole described Okpebholo as a performing governor, saying his achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare and youth empowerment justified the confidence reposed in his administration.
The former governor, who congratulated Okpebholo on his second anniversary in office, said the campaign rally was deliberately scheduled to coincide with the occasion.
He listed road construction, rehabilitation of schools, increased subventions to universities, loans for market women, rebuilding of damaged markets and improvements in primary healthcare as some of the governor’s achievements in two years.
Oshiomhole urged the people of Edo State to support Tinubu and APC candidates in the forthcoming elections, particularly the party’s three senatorial candidates, saying the President needed a cooperative National Assembly to implement his policies.
He argued that the improved financial resources available to state governments were partly responsible for the projects being executed by Okpebholo, thanking Tinubu for ensuring transparency in the management of federation revenue.
“Because if there was no transparency in the management of the federation account, he wouldn’t have the money, even if he had the ideas, to do the jobs that he is doing,” Oshiomhole said.
The former governor also expressed support for Tinubu’s proposed next phase of power sector reforms, arguing that reliable electricity was essential to reviving manufacturing, creating jobs and improving the economy.
He said previous privatisation arrangements had failed to deliver reliable electricity, forcing state governments to spend resources supporting electricity distribution companies, including through the provision of transformers.
Oshiomhole, however, said the President’s commitment to a radical reform of the power sector offered hope for improved electricity supply and economic growth.
On security, he disclosed that Tinubu had approved the establishment of a full Nigerian Army division in Benin City, Edo State, replacing the existing brigade structure.
According to him, the decision was part of the President’s efforts to strengthen security operations and defeat criminal elements across the country.
He also said the government had resolved to apply the death penalty to persons convicted of kidnapping and related crimes, describing the measures as part of efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oshiomhole urged voters to sustain their support for the APC, saying continued cooperation between the Presidency, National Assembly and state governments would accelerate infrastructure development and economic transformation.
